Fried plantains are a traditional treat in many parts of the world. Try them once and you'll be hooked. Overly ripe plantains work best for this recipe.

Fried Plantains

plantains

Preheat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat.


Peel the plantains and cut them in half. Slice the halves lengthwise into thin pieces.


Fry the pieces until browned and tender. Drain excess oil on paper towels.


It is very important to use very ripe plantains for this one. These aren't tostones (fried green plantains). These are called "amarillos". Heather's picture adequately demonstrates this recipe, the other picture is showing fried green plantains, they are different. Amarillos turn out sweet, not crunchy and darker in color when compared to green. I like to use plantains with yellow and black skins or all black. You can eat them by themselves or sometimes I like to sprinkle grated parmesan on top.

My husband makes these, we all love them. You didn't mention that if they are green they need to be fried twice, flatten in the middle of cooking. Good with garlic &amp; salt.  We also slice them in circles. When very over ripe the sugars come out and caramelize. Great for breakfast.

Wow, there is so much confusion around plantains.  I was looking up recipes to post pictures and a lot of people have them mixed up.  I grew up with them, so lets see if I can help a bit.  Ok, there is only 1 kind of plantain but there are 3 colors, depending on its age. Order is green, yellow, then black.  Green is for TOSTONES, or light gold pieces that are cut into rounds, fried, mashed and fried again.  They're salty.  Personally I like to throw on some minced garlic on top out of a jar with some juice and a sprinkle of salt. Some people go for garlic powder instead.  Then you have PLATANOS MADUROS, or ripe plantains that are used to make this sugary version.  The color to make these is when your plantain is BLACK.  The riper the plantain, the sweeter it is and that's the trick.  It should be slightly mushy to the touch.  The best way to tell if its good to fry is if, once peeled, its still got a tan color, not brown or black.  In my family, we cut these at an angle.  These are perfectly sweet as is, so I don't add anything extra.  The last is yellow.  These are usually not hard enough for tostones, and definitely not soft enough for platanos maduros so some people chop them up and boil them to eat either in or along with soups.  They don't taste that good boiled so its not so popular.  If it were me, I'd wait til it goes black and make these yummy sugary ones.  Hope this helps!

A dear friend from Tennessee introduced my family to fried plantains years ago.  We slice them into thin rounds and using a cast-iron skillet fry them up with just a few Tablespoons each of oil and butter.  Seasoned with salt, garlic, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, they make for a great side to a variety of Caribbean and Latin-themed meals.  For an addictive snack try adding a sprinkling of chili power or cayenne along with the other spices.

Fried Plantains, or "Platanitos Fritos" as they are called, are a traditional side dish in Peru as well as in many parts of South America. Why not serve yours like the Peruvians do, with a juicy steak and a generous portion of rice topped with two sunny-side-up eggs. The meal, called "Bistec a lo Pobre", offers a delicious combination of sweet and salty flavors.

I find that plantains that have turned mostly black are perfect for frying. Yum!

Great!  My mother and grandmother have been making these for years!  Another way to cook them is with some mozzerella cheese melted on top. (baked in the oven.) 
a note- these are NOT the green plantians that someone else mentioned in their review.  Those are DIFFERENT.  These are the yellow plantains and they should be overly ripe.
enjoy!

I've made these for years and years. My sons love them with crumbled feta cheese on the slices for a salty flavor. Or sprinkle with cinnamon sugar for a sweet flavor...both ways are awesome!

I grew up on fried plantains. They were a staple in our house and are still one in mine. Overripe is definately the best. Sprinkle with salt and enjoy. [I typcially pair them with black bean tacos.] They are also good with a little sour cream and a dash of tabasco. If you've never tried them you're really missing out. They are a delicious treat.

I love making plantanos. I add a touch of sugar while frying and serve them with black beans. Delicioso!

I LOVE these! Platanos maduros are better overly ripe. They would be very nice and sweet, absolutely no need to add sugar of any sort. All nine pictures associated with this recipe are of yellow plantains (ripe). I like to make what my PuertoRican family calls a 'pastelon': fry slices lengthwise and arrange them on the bottom of a pan (9x9) add layer of cooked ground beef over it - like a lasagna, layer more slices and then more beef. End with a layer of fried plantains. (add shredded cheese in each layer if you want) Take a beaten egg and pour evenly over the whole thing to help set it so it won't fall apart as you cut to serve. Bake for about 20min at 400 until egg is cooked. I like to eat it on its own. My hubby likes it with rice.  The green plantains are also good, however those are not sweet in the least and I like them salted and with a garlicky/spicy sauce to dip. My 12yo son loves these instead of the sweet ones with his 'special' sauce: mayo, ketchup and hot sauce mixed together - you can add garlic to it too.

I grew up eating these. In my house my mom made the green ones too (platanos), but my favorite ones are the black ones. I don't make them so often anymore, but when I do, I pick the very ripe ones.  You don't find the black ones in the stores very often, but you can take them home and put them in a paper bag in a dark place to speed the process of ripening (about 2 or 3 days).  I fry mine on medium heat with lots of butter and cinnamon sticks until they are dark golden brown. I serve them topped with Parmesan cheese, ground cinnamon, and a few drizzles of sweet condensed milk.  It's rich and so yummy!

Personally I think fried plantains are too greasy. I grill mine in the oven. I lightly oil parchment paper. Place thick slices plaintain on them (ripe ones). And grill them. When done sprinkle with seasalt. 
Soo yummy and tasty. Eat them when warm.

I love fried plantains but could nevevr make them right. They always came out oily tasting. This time I follwed the last reviewers advice and used butter. It tasted like the plantains I eat in restaurants. They had a nice sweetness that what I was yearning for!

Very black and very soft plantains work best to get the carmelization you want. Even during the frying process, if you accidentally burn a couple, those are the pieces that people in my house fight over.

Being from Puerto RIco I love plantains, green or ripe.  I cook them either with oil, you don't need much, or butter. But if you are watching calories you just cut the plantains in half leaving the skin on and boil them in water.  When the sking starts separating they are ready.  Peel them and Yum!!!.  Just as sweet. 

Substituted the oil for butter as per other reviews so the plaintains wouldn't come out oily-tasting, and the end result was quite delicious! Just what I was looking for. They are good with many toppings, but I enjoy them best by themselves.

My recipe: Per One Large Yellow Plantain  Cut in 3rds then in quarters - you will have 12 pcs In a small frying pan add 1 TBSP Canola Oil; 1/2 tsp Smart Balance; heat on medium high heat; sprinkle lightly the hot oil with garlic powder. Place the plantains in the pan; brown on all sides. sprikle black pepper; 1 tsp of Agave syrup; and 1/2 tsp brown sugar; you may add cinammon if you like; takes less than five minutes.  Makles 3 servings; 152 calories.

This is more of a technique than recipe, but it's great to see it on AR for those who are unfamiliar to delicious plantains.  It's key to use plantains that are black or almost black because they carmelize so much better.  I just put a bit of oil in a skillet, slice the plantains on an extreme bias (so they are like extremely slanted "coins) , and fry on each side until a deep brown.  I sprinkle them with kosher salt and that's it.  It's a perfect sweet/salty combo that's simple yet yummy.

She didnt mention about the "green plantains" because the recipe call for "overly ripe"  ........ which escaped your ability to comprehend what you had read.

For "newbies" the plantains used here should be the black oily looking ones.

Cooking them requires just watching them as you fry them since its always going to be a little different fry time depending on what they look like.
You want them dark brown but not burnt. The oil was fine and is standard but dont be afraid to experiment.
If anyone knows LADYJAYPEE please help her read her recipes from now on since she cant follow simple directions and THEN wants to under-rate a recipe.

I tried this recipe out until I perfected it for our liking... My daughter and I finally got it when we coated the bottom of the pan with oil, but then added slivers of butter to it.  (we like the buttery flavor)  We also came up with our own sauce to drizzle on them... all I had "creamy" in my fridge was whipping cream, so I added some brown sugar to it (instead of putting it directly on the bananas).  I heated the mixture up til it thickened...and it was like a carmel sauce!!! YUMMY!

If you guys like sweet plantains try this. I ad a tablespoon of Agave nectar for every two plantains, then fry in a butter an olive oil mixture. 

Nice recipe. Though, when I fry plantains, I preffer to use some that are not that ripe, when the skin has a bright yellow color without any black spots, because when plantains in this stage are fried, they absorb a lot less oil, and still are sweet. Give a try to my hint, you won't regret...

I cooked this tonight with Baked Jerk Chicken and Black Beans and Rice. We will be making these again!

These are sooooo delicious, I eat them almost once a week now!!!

Loved them!  I've only used plantain for tostones but these were such a treat!  Will make them again for the kids-- I ate almost all of these, they are addictive.  I didn't use much oil but did use about 1/3 c evoo and about 3 tbsp of butter together on med heat.  Noticed that the thinner the slice, the more carmelized and yummy.  BTW, they taste great w/nothing else but I had to try w/cheese- used babybel and they were good.  Still, try by themselves first, you won't be disappointed.  Never knew how to cook them ripe--I waited til mine were yellow with a lot of black and they were ripe enough for me-- peeling was easy and they were very soft, I guess that's how you know they're ripe enough.  Thanks for a great recipe!

I used butter instead of oil.  Very tasty.  Good the way they were but I added sugar and cinnamon.

I add cinnamon and a bit of condensed milk to them, wonderful dessert :)

We learned about plaintains from our African friends.  We adapted their recipe (the same as this one) to our spicy taste buds by using a light, gentle dusting of creole seasoning before frying.

growing up in a home where both of your parents are from Trinidad &amp; Tobago i grew up eating fried plantains as a sweet treat or an after dinner dessert  i love fried plnatains sometimes my mom bakes them (but i dont like them baked as much as i like them fried,and the first few times the plantains didn't come out correctly)but  if you feel unconfortable about using so much oil just use a large,wide,and shallow frying pan but this takes more time and you have to flip the plantains  every 15 minutes  (if the heat is on medium) .

Pretty good; I fried them in butter instead.

fried in a little butter until pretty crispy and sprinkles with a little cinamon sugar

My parents are from Jamaica where they eat plaintains and this recipe is exactly as they make it. It can be served with a traditional caribbean dish like one of the fish meals, rice&amp; peas and so on. 

Yes, plaintains overly ripened are sweet and addictive!

Good but somewhat boring by themselves: just a fried thing with a banana
flavor.  Using a black plantain, they was pretty sweet and therefore good for 

dessert or possibly a side dish.  As
they cooled a bit they got sweeter still.  But don't let them get too cool --
they're just nasty when cold.  I wish I had ice cream or read the other reviews
for suggestions for toppings before making these.  Had I, this would undoubtedly
have been a four star review.

Add a little bit of brown sugar and its great!

These came out very good. I made them the savory/salty way and dip/seasonings take this to a five star. I mixed some garlic, mayo and ranch dressing together to make a dip. When I was done frying them, I sprinkled them with a bit of garlic salt. It mostly bounces off, so if your dip is flavorful enough, you can always skip that step. Plantains can go either way, but mine were very green and potato-like. I look forward to ripening some up to black, frying them up, and sprinkling them with cinnamon and sugar. Just a note, I sliced them on a slant, about 3/4-1 inch thick. Fried them in a little oil in a skillet, and after they were golden on each side, I set them on paper towels, smashed them flat(ish) with the bottom of a cup, and them fried them again. Thanks for the recipe!

I just had these yesterday for the first time. My boyfriend made them for a salvadoran breakfast. He put garnished them with sour cream afterwards. Sounds weird but so good.

I thought they were very bland. They kind of tasted like potato. They were not very good.

Delicious! I cut the plantains into thicker slices and sprinkled with a little sugar after draining on a paper towel. Yummy!

Excellent and SO easy! Thought I bought green bananas the other day... nope! Plantains! I made half of them green today with this recipe and followed others' tips to fry once, remove, drain, dip in a bowl of salted water, FLATTEN (the "rehydration" makes them easier to smush with the spatula), then re-fry. I fried a couple pretty dark &amp; crispy; they were delicious anyway. Tried them with Parmesan cheese as suggested also; could not believe how good that was. If you like savory, you'll love it. Letting the rest blacken up in a bag. :)

I followed others' suggestions and used butter and also thinly sliced the plantain into rounds.  I expected them to be a bit crispier, but they tasted good.  I sprinkled powdered sugar and cinnamon on some, salt on others.  I liked them equally.  I might try this again.

Awesome recipe! The reviews helped. It is best when you use overly ripe plantains.

Just tried making it for the first time.  We loved it.  It's really easy to make and easier to enjoy.  

We have never had plantains before but decided to buy some and see what it was all about. The first time I made it, I was unaware that an overly ripe plantain was not yellow but black. When it turned from green to yellow we tried. It tasted kinda like raw potatoes to us. I tried this again today with BLACK plantains and I still didn't like it. I put all kinds of things on top and nothing worked for me. I tried sugar, cinn sugar, salt, garlic powder and sour cream. We simply did not like it. After 2 attempts I won't be making it again. I guess our taste buds just cant accept these.

I've never had a fried plantain before, so I didn't know what to expect. The one I used was a yellow-brown color, and I sprinkled some cinnamon and sugar over top of half, and salt over the other half. We decided we liked the salted ones better. I'm not sure if I'll make these again, but they were an interesting new food find.

We love plantanos con crema at the local Salvadoran restaurants, so when I saw a big bag of plantains at Costco for a dollar I went to the web. 
I used much less oil that this recipe called for- just 3-4 Tbs of canola oil and sauteed them on a non-stick griddle.  I served them with non-fat refried beans and plain yogurt.  It was a tasty lunch!

These were yummy.  I used very ripe plantains and instead of all oil, I used about 1 tbsp of butter and 2 of oil - it was plenty.  Topped with a little sugar -kids gobbled up!

This was a staple in my household growing up. Love it!

These were pretty good. It was my first attempt. I was amazed at how good they were with the Parmesan /garlic salt.  Not my favorite, but good if you need to use up some plantains. (i wouldn't go buy them to make it.)

I love fried plantains. But when I make them I coat both sides in sugar which caramelizes in the oil and then serve with real maple syrup. It adds a lot of calories, but it sure is worth it. 

We do live in a small world. I spent some time in Africa, and that's where I discovered the fried plantain. It is my favorite treats. I made it last week and sprinkled some cinammon on the plantain before frying. Delicious!!!!!!!

These were delicious! We used just enough oil to fill the pan about a quarter inch. We also served them with Mexican creme

Delicious and easy-tasted just like ones I've ordered at restaurants!

I make these when I make tacos. I'm the only one who really likes them. After you fry them they are good dipped in cinnamon sugar!

I used overly ripe plantains (they were black) and fried them in 1 TBSP of butter and 1/2 TBSP canola oil. Very sweet and addictive. Thanks for the great recipe!

This recipe went as simply as it looked.  I was intimidated to fry plantains, but this recipe made it easy.  Just a minute or two on either side of the slice of plantain will leave it golden and sweet.

I loved these when they were hot, my husband didn't care much for these though. I sprinkled salt, red pepper and dried mango powder (you can get these in Indian Stores) on mine and they tasted very nice. Thanks.

Pretty good - but not as good as the fried plantains I remember from being in the islands. I don't know what my friends mother did to them to make them sooooo yummy. But I will keep making these when I have plantains.

never had plantains before.  We picked this up as a supplement to a homeschool lesson.  We waited until it was almost black, and then tried to peel it.  I had to cut the peel off with a knife. anyway, we fried them in coconut oil - the ones that cooked the longest tasted the best, and then we added sugar and cinnamon.  it was a winner :)

I would give these plantains 6 out of 5 stars if it were possible. I've tried fried plantains at different restaurants across the city, and these home-made ones have been the best.

i've always loved fried plantains, but i drizzle mine with a sour cream and cinnamon mixture... and the riper they are, the better!

This is a wonderful recipe. Using butter for frying makes a huge difference. My daughter loves them for dessert dribbled with condensed milk.

A good recipe overall- I might just tweak it for a couple minor reasons. For 5 people, 2 plantains was barely enough, so I would next time use 3. Also, a note to healthy eaters: you don't have to deep fry the plantains! I added less than 1/4 cup of oil to the plantains and they tasted great! Worth a try :)

It was delicious, simple to make and fast! The more ripe the better, as the recipe states!

Very good.  Not so sold on the frying part, but I don't really like to fry.  however, they are sweet and crispy and soft all at the same time.  Bf complained they were "soggy" but he was confusing yucca root with plantains.  Not sure how that happened, but once he figured it out he decided they were good.  I supposed I'll have to find some yucca root now . . .thanks for the recipe!

Blech.  Used very ripe plantain and tasted like oil-fried banana.

I learned to make this when i was just 12 years old i wasn't allowed to make them but i did remember the recipe. They are a great snack for children my two girls don't eat them they devour them and the response is always the same I want more.  Have to try the cinammon and powdered sugar on them to see.  But with or without the toppings they are still a very tasty treat.

For really ripe plantains. They were great fried up with butter.

sooo yummy . Definitely have to use VERY ripe plantains though . Like fully black , so that the sugars extract , otherwise you get hard bitter chips . ick . :)

I LOVE fried plantains! I was first introduced to them in Miami, Florida. I forgot about them until we went on vacation to Costa Rica. Guess what I had for breakfast EVERY morning while I was there! I sometimes top my plantains with maple syrup if I have an extra sweet tooth. :-)

I guess you either love them or you hate them. Mine turned out okay, not like the ones I got from this Puerto Rican restaurant though. My boyfriend prefers tostones over these too. I'm half and half, I just wish I could make them better.

Fried Plantains are really a great alternative to french fries and if prepared in  the right oil they can be a lot healthier!!! My kids love them as a snack or with a meal. You have to be really careful that they do not burn. The amount of sugars in the plantains can cause them to caramelize really fast and they will totally burn if you don't stay right on top of them. I salt them AFTER I fry but right before they hit the paper towel to absorb the excess grease/salt... A little pepper and a few minutes to cool and BAM you are eating a healthy alternative to french fries!

So amazing.  But all you need is enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

That sounded like WAY too much oil.  I used much less canola oil.  Just enough to coat the bottom.  3 plantains, little honey, ginger and sea salt.  If they are ripe enough, you don't need the honey.  Sweet enough.

Love these!...Super easy &amp; yummy.  The hardest part was figuring out how to get off the peel. I just assumed it was like peeling a banana....wrong-o! Once I figured out how to get off the peel I was good-to-go! I didn't need nearly as much oil as stated in the recipe. They turned out delicious!

These were so, so good!  The rest of my family didn't care too much for them, but that left the whole plate for me!  I'll make them again, so easy and delicious!

So delicious and easy to make!  I tend to use my wok to cook them since it requires less oil.  I absolutely love them with chili pepper sprinkled on them.  Delicious!

Easy as pie! I slice the plantain into rounds instead though.

I fry the yellow ones with butter, cinnamon and honey. The green ones I fry like the recipe

I tried this recipe, and found it to be very delectable! I did alter the recipe somewhat, 1. I used 1-tsp of butter and 1-tsp olive oil; 2.sprinkled a 1-tbsp. of brown sugar on the plantains, after browning them on all sides. then Bon-Apatite!
-Doc

My favorite is to dip them in mango chutney sauce after frying...delicious!

these are a tradional dish this is also excellent with white homemade spanish creme and refried beans as a side dish.

Topped with cinnamon and sugar; thought they were just OK.  Still want to make Tostones to give them a try.

It was really good, and really simple to make. I'm not a good cook, so I accidentally burnt some of the pieces, but they were still really tasty. I would suggest adding pinch of salt and pinch of pepper in the ingredients list, because salt and pepper make it taste ever so much better.

OK, now I see why so many recipes online are like "uh, slice and fry?" ... it's literally that easy. Use ultra-ripe (almost black) plantains and they come out awesome.

Plantains were cut into circles. Some thin, some thick.  The thinner ones were better.  Tasted like caramel corn!

Not a very detailed recipe. I used coconut oil and then I sprinkled some salt on the plantains. I did about four minutes for the first side, and they came out a little blackened. I did less time for the second time, I but I think I should've done more because they were a bit mushy. But very tasty.

Very good, still working on how long to let them ripen. However, I cooked them in coconut oil. Pretty good.

Awesome. I didn't have the skill to cut lengthwise pieces and cut circles instead - worked great. 

fried plantains

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total: 15 minutes

Servings: 8

Author : Allrecipes

Ingredients

Instructions

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